"To You Who Shines #27 The Life of Fate" Synopsis & What I Say This Week
As expected, Mahiro is pregnant with Michinaga's child! This week is going to be a storm!

This week's guest is N-san. As expected! I thought it would definitely happen! We met by chance at Ishiyama-dera Temple, and I thought we would renew our friendship and say goodbye, but it turned out that Michinaga was the father of Mahiro's child after a one-night stand!

The theme of this issue is "fate." With the relationship between Mahiro and Michinaga at the core, various connections are connected and intertwined. The relationship between Michinaga and Noriko and Akiko. And the relationship between Emperor Ichijo and his mother,The bond with Senshi. The bond between Emperor Ichijo and Sadako. The new life that Sadako and Mahiro will be blessed with. And above all, the bond between Mahiro and Nobutaka.

This week was another interesting episode, with the title "Fateful Lives" taking on multiple layers of meaning!

An affair at Ishiyama-dera Temple, where he began writing The Tale of Genji.
The foreshadowing that is scattered throughout the story will get you excited!

It is often said that the reunion and affair with Michinaga at Ishiyama-dera Temple was a scorching hot moment, but it was portrayed very romantically. But Michinaga seemed to have just wandered there on his own, didn't he? (How stupid). And what happened to Mahiro, Ito, and Otomaru? In other words, was the affair known to all of his attendants?

But the key point is Ishiyama-dera Temple. Ishiyama-dera Temple is said to be the temple where Murasaki Shikibu began writing "The Tale of Genji." I wonder if she picks up her brush while remembering this one-night love affair... She even told Michinaga that she wanted to write stories and poems on beautiful Echizen washi paper... There are plenty of hints for the story to be resolved.

He loves and accepts the unfaithful woman, Mahiro.
Nobutaka shows his greatness!

Returning from Ishiyama-dera, Mahiro and Nobutaka make up. After enjoying a chance meeting with Michinaga, Mahiro feels quite refreshed. Two weeks ago, her cousin lectured her on the rules of marriage, and she behaves admirably towards Nobutaka, connecting with him. As I've said many times before, Mahiro has had a change of mood. For a brief moment, a peaceful time passes in their married life.

Mahiro realizes she is pregnant due to changes in her physical condition. Ito calculates backwards and realizes that it is exactly the time when Nobutaka did not visit Mahiro. She has a lot of ideas! However, she advises Mahiro to continue to lie to Nobutaka as much as possible. When she tells Nobutaka that she is pregnant, he is overjoyed. However, Mahiro also knows that Nobutaka has a vague idea of ​​whose child Mahiro has.

But Mahiro is a very straightforward girl (how troublesome).

She wakes up Nobutaka, who has just been found to have sleep apnea, and declares that she wants to break up with him and give birth to and raise the child on her own... "Any child you give birth to will be mine. Let's raise it together. Isn't that fine?" she replies to Mahiro with a fearless smile.

"My feelings for you will not be shaken by such things. Whatever happens, it is better than losing you."

...Isn't that amazing?

She knows that Michinaga is the father of the baby. She also calculates that if she raises the child with love, Michinaga will look after her as well. But Nobutaka accepts Mahiro wholeheartedly, and his love for her is so great and deep that all the girls watching the historical drama in front of the TV are bowing down before Nobutaka. They're surrendering. There's a limit to total acceptance!

From handsome men to the aroma of aged meat
Acting that only 56-year-old Sasaki Kuranosuke could do

Even so, Sasaki Kuranosuke was a good actor this time. Sasaki Kuranosuke is a handsome man, but he is also 56 years old. Compared to Emoto Tasuku, who plays Michinaga, his handsomeness is a little dull.

But that's a good thing. It overlaps with Nobutaka. I think he expresses the composure of an adult who knows the sweet and the sour, and can accept both good and bad. It's a difficult role to fully capture the youthfulness and stubbornness of Mahiro, played by Yuriko Yoshitaka. He's just like aged meat that gets tastier with age. He has a charm that youth doesn't have.

But, in the world of "To You, Shining," does that mean that Emperor Kiritsubo was aware of the affair between Fujitsubo no Nyōgo and Hikaru Hikaru in "The Tale of Genji"? That's a pretty thrilling interpretation. I like it!

But this time, Nobutaka showed me his greatness. Kyaaa.

She is about to enter the Imperial Court! There's nothing we can do about Princess Akiko!
Political considerations are also mixed

This time too, Princess Akiko's behavior is frustrating. She is neither cheerful, carefree, nor intelligent. It is a stark difference from the bright and lively Princess Sadako was when she first entered the Imperial Court. Her mother, Michiko, also wishes for her to be "more cheerful. I want her to speak up more," but it's no use. Princess Akiko is so gloomy. Even her tutor, Akazome Emon, is at a loss.

Apart from the anxious surroundings, the project to get her into the Imperial Court is underway. Michinaga's idea to have the nobles' waka poems pasted on the folding screen of the bride's trousseau to show Emperor Ichijo the prestige of Akiko and, by extension, Michinaga, is full of political motives. But this is historical fact. Fujiwara no Sanesuke, played by Robert Akiyama, really did turn down Michinaga's request.

But Emperor Ichijo's gaze towards Princess Shoko is extremely cold. He knows that Michinaga and the other nobles think he is an incompetent emperor. He allows Princess Shoko to enter the Imperial Court and even promotes her to the position of consort, but in his heart he firmly rejects her. How will Princess Shoko recover from this? It seems that the project to get Princess Shoko into the Imperial Court will get serious when Mahiro starts serving as a lady-in-waiting.

Sadako gives birth to a prince
The reason for Emperor Ichijo's favor

Sadako finally gives birth to a prince. It's unfortunate that it doesn't end happily ever after. Emperor Ichijo dotes on Sadako, but he confesses that the truth of his love is that he wants to escape from the control of his mother, Senshi.

Princess Senko too was used as a political tool by her powerful father Kaneie, was shunned by Emperor En'yu, and lived a difficult life. But when confronted with the fact that in a way she had done the same thing to her son, Emperor Ichijo, as her hated father Kaneie, Princess Senko bursts into tears. She is stunned. And is her life and her upbringing a failure? It's just too painful!

When Sadako gave birth to a prince, her brothers, Ise and Takaie, were excited. They thought that if the prince became the crown prince, they could defeat Michinaga's forces! But of course, that didn't happen. Sadako, I guess we'll see you next week...

However, one of the achievements of this year's taiga drama "To You, Shining" is that it clarified the existence of these three people: Emperor Ichijo, Sadako, and Akiko. I don't think I've ever seen a derivative work that so clearly links these three people to "The Tale of Genji." It was very easy to understand, and somehow it felt like I'd already read "The Tale of Genji." This is the genius of Oishi Shizuka's adaptation.

Mahiro's child is Michinaga's child!
The Rondo of Cause and Effect Depicted in "The Tale of Genji"

If we unravel the historical facts, Murasaki Shikibu's daughter, Kenko, achieved great success, surpassing her mother. At the age of 18, she succeeded her mother as the wife of Shoko. She married Michikane's second son, Kanetaka. After giving birth to a daughter, she became the wet nurse of Emperor Go-Reizei, and was awarded the rank of Junior Third Rank. Like her mother, she was intelligent, had a talent for singing, and was said to have been a woman who had many love affairs.

In the world of "Hikaru Kimi e", Mahiro and Michinaga's daughter is a great karma, isn't it? This girl grows up and marries the son of Michikane, who killed Mahiro's mother. In the first place, Mahiro, who is soul mate with Michinaga, the younger brother of her mother's enemy, is also amazing, so I'm curious about the future of this mother and daughter.

The M-man on duty two weeks ago wrote that the setting of "The Tale of Genji" was inspired by the fact that there are many illegitimate children. I agree. And the retribution of karma, or what goes around comes around, is repeated throughout "The Tale of Genji."

In "The Tale of Genji," Hikaru Genji is troubled by his relationship with Emperor Reizei, his son with Fujitsubo, and is troubled in his later years when he learns of Kashiwagi's affair with the Third Princess. Across generations and in different positions, people make the same mistakes and suffer. It seems likely that this cycle of karma will continue to play out in the future of "To You, the Shining One."

Michinaga will likely be preoccupied with power struggles just like his father Kaneie, whom he detested so much, and will likely suffer from diabetes just like his brother Michitaka. Just as Emperor Ichijo and his mother, Lady Senshi, will experience emotional entanglements, Akishi will be in political conflict with her father, Michinaga.

But this week was interesting! The highlights were Ishiyama-dera's affair and Nobutaka's big personality. It's getting more and more interesting, and it seems like things are going to get even more gruesome from now on! I love aged meat!

What is the review of “To Shining You”?

"Premium Japan Literature Club" (exaggeration) was formed by people who love literature within the Premium Japan editorial department. For literature lovers, the 2024 taiga drama ``Hikaru Kimi e'' was a perfect opportunity to discuss this and that. Volunteers from the editorial department will continue to freely review articles. Editor S and Editor N reviewed the differences between historical facts and dramas, a deep dive into foreshadowing, and more!